Events of Wednesday, October 6, 2010

          We had a “chill day” today; not quite a “rest day” where we don’t drive anywhere, but not quite a full-fledged travel day. I (Ben) was awakened early so I could run, which I am trying to make into a daily discipline, at least when it doesn’t rain. After a nice run of about a mile and a half, I came back to the RV for breakfast. Since going to the showers that were open would entail a 10 minute walk, we decided to drive over and enjoy the cleanliness without having to trek back through mud, dust, and pine needles on the way back. So, nice and clean, we drove on toward the White Mountains.

          Since we aren’t completely familiar with the area, we had to check in at information centers to find out if the activities we had wanted to do would work out for us. Mom and Dad ventured through the deluge to the first information center, where they got information about possible camping spots for tonight. They were also pointed to another information center in Lincoln, so we headed there next. We found out a ton of information about where we could get some of our paperwork done, how to hike Mt. Washington – the highest mountain (but only 6000’) in the northeast, other scenic hikes in the area, and detailed information about the Franconia and Keensman Notches, which house the two attractions that caught our eyes: the Flume and the Lost River Gorge.

          We headed down the road to a great spot near a river, where we had a hot lunch of soup and grilled cheese, a rare treat. Having the RV is fantastic: we can just pull up anywhere, no matter if there are picnic tables or not, heat up some food, and enjoy a nice hot lunch in the warm indoors while still in view of the scenery around us. We drove on to the library and town hall, where we did our necessary paperwork and then some grocery shopping before heading on to our campground in North Woodstock. Here, we, after many, many attempts, set up for the night. Parking an RV is tricky at times, and leveling it off is trickier still. However, it is important that the RV is level as the refrigerator runs smoother and when we cook nothing drips from the pans. It also keeps us from feeling like we are sleeping on our heads. We backed into our campsite which was great for our hookups, but not level. After a myriad of attempts to level us off with Dad and I constructing all sorts of platforms for the wheels, we turned around to try again. Now it was easier to get us level, but the hose for the water wouldn’t reach. So we had to fill up our water tank for our water use. Finally settled, we did an hour and a half of math with Dad while Mom made us a delicious apple crisp and prepared dinner. After dinner, we watched the first half of Abby’s movie choice, The Princess and the Frog, before heading to bed.